Developing a pattern language for flow experiences in video games Philippe Lemay, Ph.D Head of Game design graduate studies University of Montreal CP 6128 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7 [email protected] ABSTRACT a child book, a small-scale replica of a World War II plane, Pattern languages have gained widespread acceptance over or a cheaper computer for the masses. the years in the design and computing communities. Thanks to the seminal work of Bjork and Holopainen they also have Patterns abound in natural and artificial worlds. Sequences spread to the video game design community. In order to (of numbers, of letters), cycles (of days and nights, of help game designers grasp fundamental aspects of human seasons) processes (of industrial manufacturing, of experiences, the author is developing a new breed of pattern neurological transmissions), tendencies (of economical language: a pattern language for experience design, and in markets, of fashion), shapes (of cars, of trees) and particular, a pattern language for optimal experiences (or probabilities (of winning at the casino, of an earthquake in flow) in games. Mexico) are kinds of patterns found in nature. The objective of this endeavor is to elaborate a generative The multifaceted nature of patterns is also observable modeling tool that will help designers understand, analyze across literary sources. This polysemic concept is and elaborate better games by taking into account human considered as [13]: experiences and providing elements that will trigger and • a perceptual structure maintain the most positive and intense player experiences. The language presented here, following a dimensional • a customary way of operation or behavior model of experiences, describes patterns pertaining to the • a decorative or artistic work sensation, emotion, cognition, behavior and social domains. • something regarded as a normative example It can be applied to various types of games, should they be single player or not, online or not. • a model considered worthy of imitation • something intended as a guide for making something else Author Keywords All connotations refer somehow to the idea of a certain Pattern language; video games; experiences; experience amount of organization of elements, should they be design; flow, optimal experience; methodology perceptual (in lines, shapes, or physical elements), behavioral (doing things in a certain manner) or social (a shared, social recognized model). The recognition of a INTRODUCTION pattern often leads to use it as a guide, in order to perform Practitioners of many disciplines have attempted to derive certain actions (as a sewing pattern). the fundamental building blocks of their domain and tried to formulate the rules that bind these blocks together. Poets, Patterns have not just been recognized in the natural or built mathematicians, graphic artists, chefs, industrial designers world, but have also been used in several domains, such as and computer scientists, to name just a few, delved into this architecture [2], software design [6, 16], economy [14] and endeavor. more recently game design [4]. Its methodological development have mainly stemmed from the seminal work When Christopher Alexander [2] put forth his idea of a of Christopher Alexander and his colleagues. According to pattern language, although his work was originally applied Alexander, each "pattern describes a problem which occurs to architecture, his approach represented a lingua franca for over and over again in our environment, and then describes researchers and practitioners of various disciplines. By the core of the solution to that problem, in such a way that trying to define the basic constituents of a given field – thus you can use this solution a million times over, without ever codifying its fundamental knowledge – pattern languages doing it the same way twice." [2] allow to select, mix and match them to shape a poetic sentence, a south-east inspired recipe, a new illustration for Situated Play, Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Conference © 2007 Authors & Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). Personal and educational classroom use of this paper is allowed, commercial use requires specific permission from the author. 449 Patterns in the interactive community The pattern language approach has its place among other user-centered methodologies [21, 7, 28] such as participatory designs, focus groups, task analysis, surveys, scenarios and system analysis. In software design and human computer interaction pattern languages enable designers to elaborate better interactive systems, by taking into account the human cognitive and behavioral intricacies, not just technical requirements. Pattern language projects include User interface design patterns [33, 5, 22], Patterns for speech dialogues for older adults [38], Pattern language for living communication [31], Visualization pattern Figure1. Four language [37] and Patterns for Groupware [17]. They each components of represent interesting attempts to codify knowledge in patterns in game different areas of the human-computer interaction. Some of design these projects target either specific contexts of interaction, particular populations, elements of interaction In the end the availability of patterns for experience design (communication) or interface (dialog boxes, progression will have positive consequences, following Tidwell’s bars and the likes). consequences of pattern languages [33]: Patterns in the game design community 1. gather knowledge of decades of psychological research In game design the most notable endeavor was done by into a coherent corpus; Björk and Holopainen [4]. Their pattern language focuses 2. share this corpus among designers originating from on gameplay, which they define as "the structure of player diverse backgrounds and even to wider non-initiated interaction with the game system and with the players in the audience; game" (ibid, p. 3). They structure their approach according to four fundamental components: the holistic, boundary, 3. continue and even increase the focus on players’ temporal and structural components. The holistic experiences in games; component is concerned with "the aspects of a game that 4. organize the efforts of the game design community are relevant when one looks upon the activity of playing towards the influences of the virtual world upon games as an undividable activity" (ibid, p. 9); included are experiences; items such as game instance, game session, play session and 5. allow designers to select, combine and test those building extra-game activities. Boundary components are "those that blocks in imaginative generative ways. limit the activities of people playing games", that is, those that allow or restrain the players’ activities (ibid, p. 14); THE FLOW OR OPTIMAL EXPERIENCE MODEL these items are rules, modes of play and goals. The third What do people experience when they engage in an component, temporal, is concerned with elements activity? Why do people do the things they do? How to describing the evolution and causality of the game; these study people’s inner feelings? Many psychological theories elements are the actions, events, closures, end conditions exist that provide (tentative) explanations to these questions, and evaluation function of the game. The fourth component, such as psycho-analysis, behavioral, cognitive theories, structural, deals with the "basic parts of the game being evolutionary and the likes. To explain and even predict manipulated by the players and the systems" (ibid, p. 23); subjective feelings is quite a daunting task, the many here are found the interface, game elements, players, game intricacies of the mind greatly complicating the inquiry. facilitator and game time items. Psychologist M. Csikszentmihalyi studied for more than 25 This language pattern is really impressive and surely years people’s experiences when they engage in different encompasses the wide variety of games found today. kinds of activities and context: in their daily life (at work, at However there is room for developing a complementary play), in many countries (including United States, Canada, language, one that specifically focuses on the experiential Italy and Norway) and with different populations (teenagers, aspects of the game. The resulting language may even be musicians, shepards). Research results constantly point to a included as a fifth component to Bjork’s and Holopainen’s convincing conclusion: activities that are the most intense language. The objective of our project is to develop a and pleasurable are the ones which involve focused generative, modeling tool that will help designers attention (largely because of clearly set goals) and understand, analyze and design better games by taking into challenging activities in balance with the person’s skills. account human experiences. Csikszentmihalyi labeled this particular state as flow or optimal experience, following comments of surveyed people who experienced this kind of state. Flow experiences 450 have been described as "... holistic sensation(s) that people Conditions and characteristics of flow feel when they act with total involvement" [10]. They are Associated with this flow experience is a number of given also called autotelic experiences" (auto=self and telic=goal), characteristics often encountered. Csikszentmihalyi [3] because they are pursued for their own sake, driven by self- subdivided them into two sets: characteristics of flow and directed goals and not external